Your new boss: “Welcome aboard! We are sure you are the right person for this job. Good to have you on the team!”
Well, isn’t that what we hear on our first day at a new job? The welcome is all cordial, full of hope, excitement in the team which you are about to join, basically, the Red Carpet is out for you!! However, what we fail to notice is the fact that starting a new job is very stressful and yet we take it for granted!
Think about it: Signing joining forms, getting ID Cards, parking lot sticker, passwords from the tech teams, initial meetings, hmm…even understanding the floor-plan to locate the nearest restroom!!
Beat the Stress
- A commonly known mistake that we tend to do on a new-job at a new place/company is to COMPARE! Yes, we do it however less or more. We compare work cultures, processes, benefits, colleagues, travel, cafeteria, even about elevators from our previous company to the new one!!
- The faster you get over your previous job, the better it is for settling into the new one
- The new company hired you based on your work, interviews, etc. Give yourself enough time to showcase your talents! You didn’t get them overnight, did you?
- Start the new job with being less critical about the way things take off. You know the routine; it’s a matter of time before you ace the problems!
- Adjusting to the new job is about banishing your ASSUMPTIONS! The more you assume, the more you expect. Take it one day at a time. I’ve seen that Assumptions hurt even the best in the business.
- If you don’t know something, just put your hand up and ask! Really, it’s that simple.
Get yourself Oriented to the New Job
- Your orientation starts with finding the best travel route to get you to work on time. This definitely helps reduce stress!
- Induction on day-one will help you understand the company better. Don’t miss it.
- In case, there’s no such thing as induction (Yep! There’s no induction in a start-up of 20-30 people), try getting to know your colleagues over lunch or coffee.
- Your manager generally does the introduction-routines; however you can go one step further and send out mails asking for a good time to meet your colleagues at work for a one-to-one. Please don’t make the meeting look like you are interrogating them about the company!
- The HR is expected to work with you closely to help you understand the benefits and the point-of-contact for various departments. If not, ask for one!
Post 1st Week
- By now you are well into the work and time to get yourself a mentor. Preferably, someone who has spent a considerable amount of time in the company. It helps you resolve issues quicker, afterall they understand the company/product/client/process better. If you don’t ask, folks will assume you either know everything or you are not listening? Which one is true?
- Companies do have a ‘Buddy’ program, where you get to shadow-work with a team-member to learn the finer nuances of your work. If your new company doesn’t have one, ask your colleagues if you can shadow-work with them. Again, please don’t run to them for every thing you need to do! Respect their time and space, use your discretion.
- You were hired to bring a newer perspective at work, time to get those ideas out on to the table or during discussions. Sound confident in your approach and be ready for feedback!
Lastly, you might notice that there’s no mention of “Dress Code” for the new job. I suppose you have landed the job for the right attitude and common sense. Right? Go dressed in a way that you feel would work best for the role you are hired for.
- The HR Store
